The Black Book (2023) Ending Explained – Does Paul Clear His Son’s Name?

By Amanda Guarragi - September 22, 2023 (Last updated: April 20, 2024)
The Black Book (2023) Ending Explained
The Black Book (2023) (Credit - Netflix)
By Amanda Guarragi - September 22, 2023 (Last updated: April 20, 2024)

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS

The Black Book is an intricate thriller with many players and no payoff in the end. The book itself carries significance and becomes the one thing that everyone wants. People are kidnapped and killed over the contents of this book, and it becomes overstuffed with characters.

The way journalists are handled in this film is brutal, but it also shows the fight for justice and the truth. It proves that journalists are never looking for anything else in return. They want to help people get what they deserve. It’s hard for one person to fight a system, and Paul is the prime example of that. He needs to do everything in his power to absolve his past in order to help others get by General Issa and his men.

Paul is someone who acknowledged his faults and walked away when he could. Others aren’t as fortunate because they get sucked into the lifestyle and the protection of the community around them. Sometimes, standing alone is better than having people around who could harm you in more ways than one.

Does Paul Clear His Son’s Name?

Fortunately for all of them, someone does send a video of General Issa’s men killing Nigerian soldiers to the military. Naturally, the military does turn against General Issa, and his men start leaving him, one by one.

After the police see that this has happened to General Issa, they give Paul Edima his son so he can bury him whenever he wants. He does give him the proper burial he deserves. It is unclear if he does clear his son’s name because of the video the military receives.

Perhaps they realized that this man could frame someone else for the kidnapping, and that’s why they turned the body over to Paul.

What happens with Victoria?

Any journalist involved in something this intricate and dangerous almost always has a rough time. Paul gives Victoria the black book and tells her to do them justice by releasing all the information in it.

Paul never intended to get Victoria this involved and wanted to protect her because of how much she helped him clear his son’s name. It’s tough for Victoria to even look at Paul after everything he told her in confidence. She did get kidnapped because of him and because of the black book.

This black book became the central focus instead of his son and has been passed around from person to person. After Victoria is the journalist who shouldn’t have been involved, she now has the power to dismantle this gang from the inside out.

What did you think of the ending of The Black Book? Comment below.

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